Telescopic structure



Dec-18,1945 '1 F. w. ODIN 2,391,101

TELESCOPIC STRUCTURE Filed June 12, 1944 i fill/672E: I I I PatentedDec. 18, 1945 LIFVUNITED STAT-E s PATE TELEsooPIo STRUCTURE Frank W.Odin, Chicaga'l ll. Application June 12,1944, Serial No. 539,981 7Claims. (01. 287558) This invention relates, in general, to telescopicstructures' but more particularly to improved means for. lockingtogether two telescoping member's, at any desired point in theirrelative adjustment, quickly and efiectively.

'A' further .object is to provide an improved clamping or locking means,in which the number of. parts will be reduced to a minimum, and

which will be effective and efficient in operation.

A still further object is toprovide improved locking means of thischaracter, which will be concealed .within' the telescoping members; andalso improved meanswhich will serve to indicate and assist indetermining the relative positions of thetelescoping members.

To'the attainment of these ends and the accomplis'hment of other new anduseful objects as Willappear, the invention consists in the features of,novelty, in substantially the construction,

combination and arrangement of the several parts, f. hereinafte more.fully described and claimedandshown in the accompanying drawingillustrating this invention, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of adisplay stand constructed in accordance with the principles of thisinvention.

Fig, 2. is'an enlarged detail view of portions of" the telescopingmembers and ofthe clamping or locking means.

, Fig. 3 is a detailperspective'view of a' portion.

of one of the members.

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in elevationand partly I broken away, and. onan enlarged scale, of the clamping or locking means. I J M Fig. 5 is adetail sectional view taken on line 55,, Fig.4,"showing the partsin aclamping or.

locking position.

' Fig. 6 is a view similar" to Fig. 5, showing the parts in anunc'lamping position.

Fig. .Yisa detailsectional view taken on line 1-4, Fig. 4.

Fig. an a view, partly in elevation, partlyi of a display support orstand, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited tosuch use, as it is well adapted for securing together, in adjustedrelation, any telescopic structure to which the invention may beapplied.

In Fig. 1, there is shown a display support comprising a base I 5 and anupright standard I6,

which latter is of tubular construction and is provided with a slot Hextending through one end thereof, so as .to impart resiliency to thestandard. A shoulder or projection [8 may be formed at the lower end ofthe slot H, for a purpose to be described. The numeral I9 designates asecond member, which telescopes into the slotted end of the standard 16and is of a diameter slightly less than the internal diameter ofthestandard I 6, so as to permit of a longitudinal as well as relativerotary adjustment of onemember with respect to the other.

A sleeve 20 encompasses the'slotted end of the standard [6, and isprovided withan internal projection 2|, whichlatter may be formed in anysuitable manner, such asbystriking up a portion of the sleeve. When thesleeve is in position upon the standard IS, the projection 2| will standwithin the slot l1, so that the sleeve may be moved longitudinally uponthe standard. The sleeve .20 is provided with a cut-away por tion 22 atits base, so that when the leeve is in position'upon the standard, theprojection l8 on, the standard will be disposed between spaced.shoulders 23, to limit the rotary movement of the,

sleeveupon the standard. In use, the sleeve 29 isfirstplaced upon thestandard I6. with the, projection 2| positioned in the slot l1 and with.

the projection l8 between the shoulders 23, the

projection also serving as a means for supporting the sleeve. l

The member I9 is then inserted into the standard l6 through the sleeve,and is adjusted to the desired height with respect to the standard It,

after which the sleeve 20 is rotated with respect to the standard Hi,from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 5. Thisr0- tation of the sleeve will cause the projection 2| to engage anddepress one edge of the slot l1, so

as to contact the slotted end of the standard 16,.

and thereby cause the same to contract and clamp the standard in itsadjusted position. The

sleevemay be rotated until one of the shoulders" 23 engages theprojection I 8. To release the member l9 with respect to the standardIt, to permit of further adjustment, the sleeve may be rotated back tothe position shown in Fig. 6, and the inherent resiliency of the slottedend of the standard It will cause it to expand, and

thereby. permit adjustment of the member 1-9.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs.

NT' OF-FICEVT 8, 9 and 10, the standard 24 is provided with a slottedend 25, and the walls of the slot are cut away, as at 25, to formresilient projections or fingers 21 which will, by reason of thecut-away portions 26, be spaced from the resilient portions 28. In thisform of the invention, the sleeve 29 is provided with two projections 30extending inwardly from the inner face thereof, and the member 3|,corresponding to the member 19, is provided with peripheral recesses 32spaced lengthwise of the member 3|, to form surfaces 33 intermediate therecesses 32.

With this form of the invention, the spring fingers 21 serve thefunction of indicating the extent of relative adjustment of thetelescoping members. When the member 3| is telescoped into the standard24 and is moved longitudinally thereof, the fingers 21 will enter therecess 32 which is adjacent thereto, and during the relativelongitudinal movement of the members, they will successively enter therecesses 32 as the latter are moved adjacent the fingers. This willserve either as a visual or an audible indication of the extent of suchrelative adjustment.

After the desired adjustment has been obtained, the sleeve 29 may berotated with respect to the standard, and one Of the projections 30 willforce the portions 28 of the standard against one of the surfaces 33,while the other projection 30 will force one of the fingers 21 into andagainst the bottom of one of the recesses 32, and thereby frictionallyclamp the parts in position. To unclamp the member 3!, the sleeve isrotated to a position so that the projections 30 will stand within theslot 25, and in such position the sleeve may be moved longitudinally ofthe standard.

While the preferred forms of the invention have been herein shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes may be made inthe details of construction and in the combination and arrangement ofthe several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departingfrom the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, two telescoping members, the outermost member havingan elongated slot extending through one end thereof to impart resiliencyto said end, a sleeve encompassing and mounted thereupon for rotationand for lengthwise movement with respect to said slotted end, and aprojection on the inner face of the sleeve, adapted to be positioned toextend into said slot, whereby upon rotation of said sleeve saidprojection will move out of the slot to contract said slotted end toclamp the inner member, said projection being also movable along saidslot when positioned therein and when said sleeve is moved lengthwise ofsaid slotted end.

2. In combination, two telescoping members, the outermost member havingan elongated slot extending through one end thereof to impart resiliencyto said end, a sleeve encompassing and rotatable upon said slotted end,and a projection on the inner face of the sleeve adapted to bepositioned to extend into said slot, and to be rotatably moved out ofthe slot to contract said slotted end to clamp the. inner member, saidprojection being movable along said slot when positioned therein andwhen said sleeve is moved lengthwise of said slotted end, said sleeveand said slotted end being provided, one with spaced stops and the otherwith a projection movable bletween said stops to limit the rotation ofsaid eeve.

3. In combination, two telescoping members,

the outermost member having an elongated slot extending through one endthereof to impart resiliency to said end, a sleeve encompassing androtatable upon said slotted end, a projection on the inner face of thesleeve adapted to be positioned to extend into said slot, whereby uponrotation of said sleeve said projection will contract said slotted endto clamp the inner mem: her, said projection being movable along saidslot when said sleeve is moved lengthwise of its supporting member, andautomatically operable interengaging means on said members forindicating the extent of relative adjustment of said members, a portionof said indicating means being movable in directions lengthwise of oneof said telescoping members.

4. In combination, two telescoping members, the outermost member havingan elongated slot extending through one end thereof to impart resiliencyto said end, a sleeve encompassing and rotatable upon said slotted end,a projection on the inner face of the sleeve adapted to bepositioned toextend into said slot, and when, upon rotation of said sleeve saidprojection will contract said slotted end to clamp the inner member,said projection, when positioned in said slot, being movable along saidslot when said sleeve is moved lengthwise of its supporting member,additional interengaging means on said members for indicating the extentof relative adjustment of said members, the said means embodying aresilient finger on one of said members, and a series of spaced annularrecesses arranged lengthwise of the other member, for successivelyreceiving said finger, as one of the members is moved lengthwise of theother.

5. In combination, two telescoping members, the outermost member havingan elongated slot extending through one end thereof to impart resiliencyto said end, a sleeve encompassing and rotatable upon said slotted end,a projection on the inner face of the sleeve extending into said slot,whereby upon rotation of said sleeve said projection will contract saidslotted end to clamp the inner member, said projection moving along saidslot when said sleeve is moved lengthwise of its supporting member,interengaging means on said members for indicating the extent ofrelative adjustment of said members, the said means embodying aresilient finger on one of the members engageable in recesses on theother member, and a projection on said sleeve for forcing said fingerinto one of said recesses.

6. In combination, two telescoping members, one of said members havingan elongated slot extending through the end thereof, the edge of saidslot being cut transversely of the length of the member to formresilient portions spaced lengthwise of the member, the other of saidmembers having recesses spaced lengthwise thereof, a sleeve encompassingthe slotted member, and projections on the inner face of said sleeve,said projections extending into and movable in the slot when said sleeveis moved lengthwise of said slotted member, said projections operatingrespectively, when said sleeve is rotated upon said slotted member, toforce one of said resilient portions against a portion of one of thetelescoping memlbers between said recesses, and another resilientportion into one of said recesses.

7. In combination, two telescoping members, one of said members havingan elongated slot extending through the end thereof, the edge of saidslot being cut transversely of the length of the member to formresilient portions spaced lengthwise or the member, the other of saidmembers having recesse spaced lengthwise thereof, a sleeve encompassingthe slotted member, and projections on the inner face of said sleeve,said projections extending into and movable in the slot when said sleeveis moved lengthwise of said slotted member, said projections operatingrespectively when said sleeve is rotated upon said

